Barrayar: A Vorkosigan Adventure

In the wake of interplanetary war, former commander Cordelia Naismith has deserted her own planet to marry the leader of the defeated enemy, Aral Vorkosigan. On his home planet of Barrayar, two rival factions are eyeing the recently vacated throne, and Aral, recently appointed Regent of Barrayar by the Emperor on his deathbed, must stand between them. Lord and Lady Vorkosigan, Aral and Cordelia struggle to establish stability in a fragile government thrown into confusion by the transition of power.

It is amazing how many credits you can blow through when you find an incredible writer & series (or multiple series). I haven't found anything of LMB's that I haven't enjoyed.

This is book 2 about Miles' extraordinary parents and friends. I absolutely adore Cordelia. She is the type of woman that many of us wish to be, honest, strong in will, determined, and she has great taste in mates & friends. Aral Vorkosigan is a man looking for something and someone to live for and Cordelia is the one who helps guide him as well as love & understand him.

I love the back stories of other major characters in the series: Bothari, Illyan, Kuo, Drou, Gregor Vorbarra....

My Life as a White Trash Zombie

Teenage delinquent Angel Crawford lives with her redneck father in the swamps of southern Louisiana. She's a high school dropout, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and has a police record a mile long. But when she's made into a zombie after a car crash, her addictions disappear, except for her all-consuming need to stay "alive".

I was hesitant about reading this as zombies really aren't my thing BUT.... I found myself adding & deleting it from my wish list over & over so I took the chance. It was an excellent chance as I found myself instantly captivated.

It is a different take on zombies and the story of transformation & growth of a strong woman after being changed into a zombie. Angel starts out as trailer trash with alcohol & pill addiction, abusive relationships, inability to hold down a job ..... After the turning she learns to value herself & others and find true joy in life including a job she truly enjoys. All this & a murder mystery to boot.

Prince Charming (Ascension Trilogy)

Destiny casts its hand one perfect moonlit night when Ascencion's most elusive highwayman, the Masked Rider, chooses the wrong coach to rob. For inside is Rafael, the prince of the kingdom, renowned for his hot-blooded pursuits of women and other decadent pleasures. The failed raid leaves the equally notorious Masked Rider wounded and facing a hangman's noose.

It is a novel about what a carefree prince needs to make him a better ruler & man. What does he need.... a strong willed, selfless, intelligent woman who has a side line business as a highwayman to support her peasants.

Neil Geisslinger did a wonderful job with the narration of many voices & personalities.

I started the series with this book so it works well as a stand alone as well as the end of the trilogy.

Bound by Flames: Night Prince, Book 3

Leila's years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn't learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin...

Put two fiery personalities in a marriage and watch the lightening & flames fly.

The poor male vampires in Frost's world who believe their mate of choice will be obedient and tame after marriage are so clueless especially when they fell in love with strong willed, intelligent women. I giggled most every time Vlad's staff would suddenly vanish when Lelia stood up to Vlad's overprotective behavior. It is good for everyone to have someone who will stand up to their nonsense once in a while.

This book definitely has some darker elements provided by Szilagyi to punish Vlad but at no time did I want to stop listening because with each trial Lelia & Vlad grew stronger and closer together.

Lastly, what would a story in this world be without some humor & sarcasm. The last part of the epilogue had me laughing so hard that I scared my cats.

Thanks for bringing Cat, Bones, Mencheres & Kira into a few parts. The interaction between them brings this series to a whole new level.

Jeaniene Frost's books are a joy to read/listen to and Tavia Gilbert's narration is superb.

Full Force and Effect: A Jack Ryan Novel

A North Korean ICBM crashes into the Sea of Japan. A veteran CIA officer is murdered in Ho Chi Minh City, and a package of forged documents goes missing. The pieces are there, but assembling the puzzle will cost Jack Ryan, Jr., and his fellow Campus agents precious time. Time they don't have.

I have been a fan of Mark Greaney since the first Gray Man book & everyone thereafter so when he started writing the story of the two Jacks (President & son) I bumped them to the top of my read/listen to list. WOW, Greaney does not disappoint in the Clancy Jack Ryan & Campus novels either.

The Jack Ryan series is fabulous and I really appreciate how the Clancy franchise found a unique way to keep the Jack Ryan saga going but also keep the action & adventure in by following the next generation.

Scott Brick shines also in his narration though occasionally I hear flash backs to characters from the Dune series. But when you are good everyone wants you as shown by the 583 books he has narrated available on Audible.

FREE: The Jester (A Riyria Chronicles Tale)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap…and what happens to them is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester’s treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive.

Action, action, and more action from start to finish. This is a short story with a lot of bang for it's size.

The Riyria books are written so well that you form a very quick attachment with the two lead characters. Even in this short story you see how different they are on the surface but a lot more alike when you burrow deeper.

I also really enjoyed the forward written by Michael Sullivan telling about his struggle writing something to be successful and then deciding to write just for himself. Gave wonderful insight to the entire series, original; & prequels.

Tim Gerard Reynolds brings these characters to life and I am always amazed of the variety of voices and inflections he brings to these stories.

If you have not read any of the Riyria books, please give them a try. You won't be disappointed though I do recommend starting with the original Riyria Revelations and then diving into the prequels.

Up from the Grave: Night Huntress, Book 7

There's always one more grave to dig. Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband, Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…. A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences.

I really enjoyed that all the regular cast of characters (& some are more 'character' than others) were all present for parts of this book. Seeing all the varied strengths, powers & weaknesses of all of them together makes you feel like there is truly nothing they cannot do as a team.

It is also fun to get timeline perspective when events from the spin off series' are mentioned & participated in during this book. Just in case you haven't read them, the spin offs are as good as the original series.

I will continue to re-listen to all the books about Cat & Bones and the 'scooby gang' (human, vampire, ghoul, ghost, deacon, and other) for many, many years to come.

Thank you Jeanienne Frost for characters that are strong but human, are serious but sarcastic, and are memorable. And to Tavia Gilbert for giving these characters a voice and personality.

I really, really hope that Ian is next to have a book or more. He is such a scoundrel with a soft heart (shhhh... don't tell him the last part).

Mentats of Dune

In Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Mentats of Dune, the thinking machines have been defeated but the struggle for humanity’s future continues. Gilbertus Albans has founded the Mentat School, a place where humans can learn the efficient techniques of thinking machines. But Gilbertus walks an uneasy line between his own convictions and compromises in order to survive the Butlerian fanatics, led by the madman Manford Torondo and his Swordmaster Anari Idaho.

Oh, to be a Mentat (a human computer) would be an intriguing thing , unless of course you are the child of a person who remembers everything.

Like all the prequels (original & post) books this one focus' on all the major players and worlds not just the Mentat. I would have liked more focus on the Mentat but was not disappointed by other events taking front & center.

The prequels give insight as to how events lead up to the original Dune books & beyond. The historian in me really enjoys that.

I have enjoyed the original Dune books on through all the post & prequels and have read & listened to them many times. This one seemed to leave a lot more loose ends than the previous ones - with the other books you knew there were other questions but they seemed to close more issues than they started. So that means instead of waiting patiently for the next sequel to come out I am a bit more impatient. :)

It was another very enjoyable collaboration between Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson and very well narrated by Scott Brick.

Night Broken: Mercy Thompson, Book 8

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from a stalker. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right. Soon her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the furthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

The House of Hades: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 4

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

Whew! Tracking the normal 3 Heroes fulfilling prophecy was easy compared to having 7 Heroes & a few other key characters.

Another excellent addition to the Heroes of Olympus & Olympians books. In addition to the fabulous story line & writing, I am enjoying the growth of each of the characters in not only their powers but also in their confidence, maturity and their trust in one another.

Nick Chamian was good, but it did take a little getting use to due to Joshua Swanson's & Jesse Bernstein's excellent narration of the previous books. Nick was a little flat at the beginning but that improved throughout the book.

What else could Rick Riordan possibly think of to challenge these 7 Heroes & others after this book? This group is going to need serious counseling after this adventure is concluded but.... as the saying goes "What doesn't break you (kill you) makes you stronger".

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

What better way to celebrate the season, and all things Audible, than with the Audible.com 2013 Audio Holiday Card. "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" is one of our holiday favorites - and who better to bring this classic to life than the brilliant George Takei. We’re thrilled to offer this holiday treat FREE for a limited time. Wishing you a Happy Holidays from the team at Audible.com - Oh My!

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